UK Tricycle Riding

Trikegirl
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UK Tricycle Riding

Post by Trikegirl »

Hello, this is my first post and I hope I put it in the right section of the board.

I lived in the USA for a long time and rode an adult trike. I absolutely loved it! I didn’t ride on the main roads but, there, you can ride it on the sidewalk/pavement which I don’t think you can do in the UK.

Now that i am in my late 60s and back home, I would love to get another trike but where would I ride it here? I don’t want to go on the main roads. Any suggestions?
Trikegirl
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Re: UK Tricycle Riding

Post by Trikegirl »

I should add that I usually used it to ride through the subdivision to the local park and ride around there for a while. I did not use the gears, I just pedalled it! Local meandering was all I did. I should also mention I am in Scotland.
rotavator
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Re: UK Tricycle Riding

Post by rotavator »

Have a look for cycle tracks near where you live and/or where you want to go after lockdown is lifted. Buy the relevant Ordnance Survey maps (Milletts are cheapest and often have offers) and look online at e.g. Cycle.travel. One issue with some cycle paths are the barriers emplaced to hinder motor bikes but you may be able to lift your trike over them. Some exploration is called for.
tatanab
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Re: UK Tricycle Riding

Post by tatanab »

Trikegirl wrote:I lived in the USA for a long time and rode an adult trike. I absolutely loved it! I didn’t ride on the main roads but, there, you can ride it on the sidewalk/pavement which I don’t think you can do in the UK.
Correct. Driving a vehicle (includes cycling) on the pavement is illegal. Something different about the UK versus USA, here we are an old country with a network of minor roads, the lanes. These don't exist in a new country like the USA. You might find that these are perfectly acceptable to you and give you added confidence in using the roads. The downside is that you live in Scotland which by its geography has areas that do not have many lanes.
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Tigerbiten
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Re: UK Tricycle Riding

Post by Tigerbiten »

Another trike rider here, but mine's recumbent ....... :D

I wouldn't write off all roads, look at back roads around your area.
I'll admit some back roads are rat runs with lots of traffic.
But some others are very quiet with only the odd car.
The trouble is stringing the quiet one together into a nice route.

I shouldn't say this, but as long as you're not where it's busy, you'll probably get away with using a pavement.
Just be sensible on how/where you use one.

Don't know how off road you want to go but you can legally ride a bike/trike on a bridle path.
But how passable some are is very iffy without going to check them on foot first.

Luck .............. :D
drossall
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Re: UK Tricycle Riding

Post by drossall »

There is a Tricycle Association. Historically it's focused on upright sports trikes, as in the home-page picture, but all are welcome.

As for where to ride, quiet roads are the obvious starting point. Would depend quite a lot where in Scotland of course. Wider cycle paths are OK, but you may find uneven ones unsettling, depending in part on your level of experience.
Ugly
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Re: UK Tricycle Riding

Post by Ugly »

The Tricycle Association, of which I am a member is mostly a sporting organisation, have look at on3wheels forum which seems to be quite inclusive.
hercule
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Re: UK Tricycle Riding

Post by hercule »

.... on the other hand the roads in Scotland can be quieter too and we don’t have the same footpath/bridleway/road distinction for bikes which are classed as “aids to pedestrianism”. See the Scottish outdoor access code for details.

Trikes are rare up here... I have a lightweight touring trike as well as recumbent trikes and I’ve seen more of recumbent than the upright variety of trike round here. That said utility trikes are not that rare, such as the shopper based machines.

Despite the Scottish Government’s commitment to active travel, providing off-road routes is pretty patchy. As well as OS maps Sustrans’ website is also worth a look. Once you’ve got a basic network, get out and explore!
Trikegirl
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Re: UK Tricycle Riding

Post by Trikegirl »

Thank you so much! All the suggestions are a great help. I did manage to find some bike paths around here and my neighbour knows where they are :D .

Now to get a tricycle. I had a Schwinn Meridian 26” when I lived overseas but I can’t seem to find it in the UK. Any idea if Schwinn bikes are sold here? If not, what other brands make good trikes?
drossall
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Re: UK Tricycle Riding

Post by drossall »

Schwinn is a US brand and pretty-much unknown over here. For utility tricycles, the classic brand in the UK is Pashley. For sports and custom-built tricycles, there are various historical makes, of which Longstaff are perhaps the one most still active, and Trykit are a newer brand run by a real enthusiast. The market is fairly small, but second-hand is a possibility as well.
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Re: UK Tricycle Riding

Post by Vorpal »

you can try https://cycle.travel/ or https://www.cyclestreets.net/ for routes. Cycle.travel offers reasonable 'balanced' routes, but won't take you out of the way to avoid roads, though it will try to avoid busy roads. Cycle Streets lets you set the search for 'quietest route'.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: UK Tricycle Riding

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Mission also do a number of upright trikes - though I can't comment on their quality.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
Trikegirl
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Re: UK Tricycle Riding

Post by Trikegirl »

Thanks for the trike brand recommendations. I have been looking up their trikes. :D I also found a brand called Jorvik. Are they good?

I do have a question about sizes, though. When I had my Schwinn trike in the USA, I was told I needed a 26 inch wheel. Is this to do with height? I am 5 ft 8 in. I see many tribes with 14, 16 and 20 inch wheels. How do I know what size wheels to get?
drossall
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Re: UK Tricycle Riding

Post by drossall »

What are you used to?

As a general statement, larger wheels roll better over bumps; the bumps are the same size, obviously, but in proportion are smaller with larger wheels. Smaller wheels will lower the trike a bit, which might help in mounting for those with limited mobility etc.

I'd go for 26" or 27" wheels unless you have a reason not to. If you're mainly going down to the shops, it may not matter.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: UK Tricycle Riding

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Going back to the roads comment... A trike also has significantly more road presence, and gets treated better than a bike by most motorists...

One theory is that motorists overtake the outside wheel of a vehicle, which is actually a foot inside your shoulder on a bike, but is outside your shoulder on a trike.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
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